Archive for September 12th, 2011

Last weekend we attended Sierra Nevada Anime Fans Unite – or SNAFUCon, in Reno, NV. Hosted at the Grand Sierra resort and casino, the venue provided ample room for both con shenanigans and Reno shenanigans.

The highlight of the con was definitely the arcade, with solid cabinets for DDR, Beatmania 5-key, IIDX, DJ Max Technika, numerous shoot-em-ups, and fighting games from Marvel vs Capcom 3 to Mortal Kombat. There were never terribly long lines, either, and we got a bunch of rounds in on several different games; a pretty unusual con experience for us.

Programming was excellent, with several different voice actors and cosplayers ready to give autographs and talk about their work, several awesome informational panels, including a unique panel on crossplay (which we haven’t seen at any other cons). They had some cool bands performing on the main stage, and live performances of Rock Band, some of which were better than others. The dealer’s room was a little out of the way, but the Artist’s Alley was definitely the main attraction in the regular con area, with everything from prints to cosplay supplies to some epic steampunk gear.

The dance was better than we’ve seen at many cons, with DJ Tim “Kaminari” Albertson spinning some hardcore music that really got the fans jumping. There was also some interesting late night programming, including a hentai room, a varient on the popular “anime hell” funny video collection, and a “BJ competition” which sadly none of us were able to make, though it sounded like fun.

We had a fantastic suite with a great view, but we ended up being too distracted by gambling, cigars and dinners out to get a party together. Some cons, you just gotta relax, right? Pro tip: always come out ahead by playing video blackjack at the bar – just make sure to get more drinks than you’re paying for in betting money!

For a second-year con, this was very well put together. We had a great time, and we’ll be back next year! How about you? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to join us!